Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The MEGA BLOKS debate

I'm beginning to understand why LEGO purists hate MEGA BLOKS. The popular plastic rival from a Canadian toymaker is generally dismissed by Adult Fans of LEGO as either of inferior quality or just a poor substitute for their true passion.

But I think it extends from something much simpler. In the process of sorting, there is almost always MEGA BLOKS inside a random collection of LEGO pieces. Children and parents, much like courts worldwide, don't differentiate between the two brands. But AFOLS do. I think for some it is akin to a prospector discovering pyrite instead of gold. While for others, it's merely a nuisance.

Today, I discovered 26 MEGA BLOKS in a Sterilite tub and I found myself irrationally annoyed at their presence among LEGO pieces. Most of that stems from the fact that they couldn't be categorized or sorted. Although they interlock with LEGO elements, the fit isn't quite perfect.

That is not to say MEGA BLOKS lacks fans. MEGA Brands, Inc., the parent company, is a powerhouse. They've secured licenses for the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Carribean. The publicly-traded company had sales of $79.1 million in the first quarter of this year. Ultimately, this is the Coke-Pepsi debate of the interlocking plastic brick world. It's simply a matter of taste.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

when i find megablocks in my bricklink orders or in my collection. i throw them in the trash!

Andrewnuva199 said...

Certain fans react differently, though. I know a few folks on Bionicle boards that think Megablock's Neo Shifters line isn't too bad.